Do Thou our faith increase!
Help us to walk in Wisdom’s way—
The only way of peace!
For flowers above and thorns below,
Little pleasure, lasting woe—
Such is the fate that sinners know!
CHAPTER X.
COURAGE AND CANDOUR.
“The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”—Prov. xxix. 25.
Jonas Colter was as gallant an old seaman as ever sailed on salt water. He was kind and generous, also, and would have shared his last shilling or his last crust with any poor creature who required it. Jonas loved his Bible and loved his church, and might have been seen regularly every Sunday morning with his book under his arm stumping along with his wooden leg, on his way to the house of prayer. But Jonas had one sad failing—rather should I call it one great sin, for an angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. He had no sort of command over his temper, and that temper was an uncommonly bad one.